The New Dark Ages
by devonbronyboy
Summary: A human enters the realm of Equestria and quickly becomes a hero throughout the land. However, chaos is amiss and a betrayal occurs that brings him to join with the changelings and help them with their cause. But what happened to bring this hero so far down, and why is it that no one knows who betrayed who? Is this something more than a war for rights, or is it personal?
1. Upon the Battlefield

The New Dark Ages

Chapter 1:

Upon the battlefield

* * *

Upon a large field, now turned battleground, there were many dead bodies scattered about. The corpses were those of ponies wearing golden or dark blue armor and the rest were changelings.

One side of the battlefield held what remained of the armored ponies, and the other side had changelings. There was a mixture of the two groups fighting in the middle of the plain, trying not to trip over those who had fallen.

"Retreat! The Demon is here!" A white unicorn in golden armor yelled as he ran from the center of the battle.

A few other ponies joined him in their attempt to flee, but before they could get far, a shadowy figure loomed up in front of them.

The shadow formed into the shape of a human that stood seven feet tall, and was dressed in black combat boots, black jeans with holes in the knees, and a black t-shirt that was covered by a long black trench coat. His red eyes glared at the ponies from underneath his hood, the only visible facial feature besides a few loose strands of long black hair that were waving in the gentle breeze. He had a sword sheath strapped to his hip, complete with sword.

The fighting continued on around this encounter, but to those ponies time had stopped completely as they gazed in fear at the being before them.

"I still don't understand why you all insist on calling me 'The Demon', I do have a name after all" The human said, his voice harsh even though he had spoken quietly.

"That is what you are, A Demon. You are nothing but the most pure evil" The unicorn replied despite being deathly afraid.

"Evil? Am I really? I only serve what I believe is a noble cause. Sure it might not be the best, but I have been treated far better by those whom I serve now than I ever was before" He replied casually, while sheathing his sword.

"You're nothing but a traitor" The unicorn spat back.

"Oh come now Corporal, you and the rest of the Guard know full well what happened, the only traitor to be found around here is Celestia"

"Shut your mouth Slade" Another one of the guards yelled as he attempted to swing his sword at him.

"Really?" Slade asked as his hand lit up with a green aura that also engulfed the sword and brought it to a halt. "You should know better than to try that Lieutenant"

"At least we defend our leader with honor!" The third guard yelled at him.

"Honor she doesn't have any right to" Slade said, glaring down at the three guards.

"You three are going to go back to your army, and order an immediate stop on this fighting. If this fight continues, I will show no mercy and mow down your forces in one swift stroke. I haven't done so yet because I still hold some respect for you" Slade told them as he stepped to his right to let them pass.

"Could we possibly negotiate or send forth champions?" The unicorn asked as the other two ponies fled.

"The only champion I will fight is Celestia herself. Negotiations would be sufficient, but I doubt she will give in to any of our demands" Slade replied calmly.

"Of course" The unicorn said as he ran back towards the main force of ponies.

Placing his hand on his throat, Slade spoke with a magically enhanced voice so all could hear his message. "My changelings, please cease fighting and return to our camp while the enemy decides the outcome"

With that, all the changeling retreated from the fight back to their end of the plain. The ponies did so as well. Slade simply teleported himself to the changeling camp.

* * *

One hour later, a tent was pitched in the center of the battlefield, equidistant from the armies' camps.

"So Celestia, you've come yourself. A shock to be sure, but a glad one" Slade said as he sat at a table that had been placed inside the tent. Celestia sat across from him, her face impassive.

"Now, as you know, changelings need a source of love to survive. However, stealing this love is wrong and therefore I have come up with a solution. I ask simply that we integrate changelings into Equuestria's populace over a long period of time. Only a handful need be integrated immediately. They will follow all rules and laws and will not be seducing lovers, they will have to obtain it the normal way" Slade started off, pausing only a moment to catch his breath and let Celestia ponder what he said.

"We would also say that we care not if you keep tabs on them twenty-four seven and have the right to arrest them if you believe them to be using their powers to manipulate ponies. We also ask that you take Chrysalis on in your royal courts, perhaps not as a princess equal to your own status, but as a noble of sorts" Slade continued, while watching Celestia's unchanged expression.

After the pause, Celestia finally spoke. "Is that everything?"

"Well we hardly want to continue this fighting, and we can tell the same of your troops. Chrysalis wanted a lot more but I am making the negotiations and not she, for I understand that there must be mutual agreement, and I know what is reasonable to ask for" Slade replied to her question.

"Well your presentation was well said, and quite easy to agree with, but what if I'd rather take your offer and challenge you?" Celestia asked, placing both hooves on the table and crossing them.

"Well that would be an unfortunate, and a rather large battle" Slade replied simply.

"I ask this then, should you win, what would become of Equestria?" Celestia asked, her eyes depending with concern for her citizens.

"Well to be frank I would accept the title of Prince of Equestria, and rule alongside Luna. I would still put the same plans into effect for the slow merging of the changelings into the populace" Slade said simply with a shrug.

"I see, but what pray tell, would Chrysalis do if I was to smite her champion down" She asked as her tone raised defensively.

"Well knowing her she would be relentless and send all the changelings to their death against your forces, and confront her yourself" Slade replied, looking somewhat disheartened by the idea.

"Would she be able to defeat me in her current state?" Celestia asked, pondering what Slade had supplied her with.

"I honestly don't know, but she has a last resort spell that would kill the both of you should she fail to kill you by other means" Slade informed her unhappily.

"I see" Celestia said, pondering her options.

"I know you're very against giving in to any of our demands, but the negotiations would really work the best for everyone" Slade said, trying to persuade her.

"And what would we get in return should I accept?" Celestia inquired.

"Well, I'm sure you know we don't have much, but we can increase the strength of your military, assuming your guards would be okay with becoming allies with the creatures they fought so hard against. Plus you know changelings make excellent spies and such" Slade told her.

"I have come to a decision" Celestia stated flatly as she stood.

"Oh? Do tell please" Slade said, as he also stood.

"I'm going to rid you all from this world. Not because it's right, but because I can't stand the idea of you being free after betraying us" Celestia said as she drew the magic sword that had been hanging off her flank.

"So be it" Slade said with a sigh as he drew his sword as well. "I had hoped to avoid this, but it seems your emotions have gotten the best of you, old friend"

The table was knocked aside as the two ran at each other, swords clashing in a shower of sparks.


	2. The Beginning

The New Dark Ages

Chapter 2:

The Beginning

* * *

A human that stood about six feet tall, and was dressed in black combat boots, black jeans with holes in the knees, and a black t-shirt that was covered by a long black trench coat stood alone on top of a cliffside.

It was hardly the weather for such clothing, but he wore what he wanted to because he didn't care about the weather. The weather didn't bother him much anyway, despite it being about zero degrees and the wind was blowing wildly. The ground had a light dusting of snow and the trees were all bare, save for a single pine tree that stood to the right of the human.

Below where he stood the ocean swirled and crashed against the stone of a much lower part of the cliff, nowhere near the top where he stood.

He turned his head to look behind him, his crystal blue eyes shining despite the dusky surroundings of this winter night's eve.

His slightly pointed nose was pretty cold, as were his small oval shaped lips, but he cared not, he was here for a reason and he wasn't going to complain one bit.

He looked at the tree again, and put his hand on it, just as some would a mirror when they're distraught. His expression was not one of sadness however, it displayed that he was smiling ever so slightly and that he was giving the tree a rather fond expression.

"Well my old friend, I don't know anymore. It's a rough life, and I don't know how much more I can take of this" He said, seemingly to the tree.

He removed his hand from the tree and crouched at its roots, looking at the small hole there, where he knew a squirrel lived. He pulled a few walnuts from his pocket and lightly rolled them into the hole before standing back up and looking back out towards the ocean.

"I had hoped to make you proud of me, while I continued your legacy. I wasn't nearly as good as you were. No one can fill your place. I'll always be second best compared to you. That's okay though, being the best wasn't worth it" he said to himself.

"Alas, how could I ever compare to you? You were so much better than the rest of us. You revived our lives and gave us a purpose, something we all needed. Without you though, it all fell apart. I tried my best to keep them going, but I'm the only one left now" he continued.

"If only you were here to make understand what you did for us. You had so much more than the rest of us, but you lost it all because you thought so highly of us. I'll never forget you, brother" he said as he walked to the very edge of the cliff, the frozen dirt crunching beneath his feet.

"I know you wouldn't be happy with what's happens, but there wasn't anything I could do. You were the only thing that really kept us misfits together, like tape on a piece of paper. Without that tape, the paper just keeps ripping until it's completely torn apart" he continued his little dialog, looking out over the water, searching for boats caught in the storm coming across the bay.

"I can't wait to see you again bro. I've been so lonely without you. Of course, I was lonely before, but after gaining such an amazing friend it hurts to have lost you right before my eyes. I suppose it doesn't matter though" he said as he stood up straight. "It'll happen soon"

The wind blasted against him again, making his coat flat like wings around him.

"My time has come, I'm sorry for not being strong enough" he said as another gust of wind hit him and he leaned into it, falling over the edge of the cliff.

"My only regret is that I couldn't stop them" he said as he fell headlong towards the water.

"Sorry pal, you're not getting off that easy" A voice said from next to him as he continued to fall.

He looked over to his left to see a ghostly image of his old friend.

"Let's just stop you here and send you elsewhere buddy" the figure said as he snapped his fingers.

Directly in front of where he had been falling a colorful swirl appeared in front of him. He could do nothing but watch as he passed through the swirl and watch as he fell through a dark tunnel lined with a view of the stars.

Then there was a light up ahead, and he fell towards and through it. Now instead of the ocean, there was solid ground below him by several miles.

However, before he could hit through the ground, he somehow managed to land on top of a cloud, absorbing the impact and hurling towards the ground at a much slower speed.

The cloud came to a stop as it bounced off the ground, seriously confusing it's passenger.

"Well I'll be damned, permeable clouds" he said to himself as he poked it a couple of times.

He hopped off the cloud and looked around him to gather his bearings. He was surrounded by deep forest with no clear paths. He somehow managed to land in a small clearing, but he couldn't see very far beyond the line of trees surrounding him.

He looked upward at the sky, searching for the Sun's position. The sun was directly above him, indicating a local noon time of the day wherever he was.

"Well shit, either heaven sucks or I went through a freaking portal" he said to himself as he continued looking at the forest around him, trying to find a path.

"Well I guess I'll just have to walk in a straight line until I find something" he said to himself as he charged into the brush before him.

He walked for what seemed Like hours, but in fact according to the small flip phone it had only been about twenty minutes when he stumbled out of the forest.

Before him laid a chasm, spanned only by a simply rickety bridge. On the other side of the abyss laid the ruins of an ancient castle, clearly hundreds of years judging by the amount of eroded rock and the vast quantity of plants creeping upon the ruins.

"Well now, this looks interesting" he said to himself as he ran across the bridge and approached the ruins.

"Well now, what do we have here? It's been some time since anypony came through here" a female voice said from behind him.

He turned to find himself facing three Pegasi, all of them wearing purple athlete uniforms and goggles.

"Oh lovely, talking horses" he replied sarcastically.

The middle pony seemed to hiss. "We are ponies! Horses are trashy foreigners from Saddle Arabia and we would never associate with such fools"

"Well that's not very nice" he replied flatly.

"Silence! Who are you, and why have you come to this place?" the middle pony inquired sternly.

"My name, is Devin. My business here was simply curiosity. Although it seems I've found myself facing a trio that think of themselves as high and mighty compared to others" He replied as he squared his shoulders and jerked his neck to the side, eliciting several loud cracks.

"So what? We know we're better than them. Even an ape like you is better than them" the pony continued.

"No one is above another" Devin replied simply as he punched the pony square in the temple, knocking her out in an instant.

The other two ponies were dumbstruck as their leader crumpled to the ground.

"Anyone else think they're above anyone else?" Devin inquired as he cracked his knuckles.

"Nope, not at all" the left pony replied, his voice rather husky.

"Yeah I think I'd rather be equal then get punched" the pony on the right said, his voice quivering slightly.

"Good, now you boys are gonna do me a quick favor so I don't punish you as well" Devin told them sternly.

"Whatever you say sir" the one on the right replied.

"As great as the woods are, I'd like to find a legitimate town. If it's not to much, I'd like one of you to lead me to one before sundown" Devin informed them.

"Oh sure the nearest town is only a twenty minute walk from here. I'll gladly take you there" the pony on the left replied.

"Thank you. And you should stay here and make sure she doesn't end up in a coma, I think I probably overdid it a bit" Devin said to the other pony, who nodded and glanced down at his fallen leader.

"Well let us be off then" Devin said as he walked back across the bridge, his escort flying to keep up.

"Wow, that was pretty crazy. He has such a strong sense of right and wrong and yet he apologies for his actions anyway" the pony said to himself as he glanced down at his leader again.

"Perhaps we should investigate into him" a voice said from behind him.

"Do you know what he is, Lady Moon?" the pony asked as he turned to face the speaker.

Before him stood a large and slender pony, whose fur was black as night and mane and tail shone like the nighttime sky. Her eyes were light green And reminiscent of a cat's. The pony was adorned with a light blue armor of sorts as well.

"That was a human. Very odd considering they were banished from our world thousands of years ago" the large mare replied.

"Devin… we look forward to your return to our little home here in the forest" Nightmare Moon said to herself as she gazed into the distance where the pair had disappeared into the forest.

 _ **A/N: Thanks for reading this far. If you're confused at all I'll give a brief explanation. The character is remembering all the past events that lead to the point where he has to fight Celestia. The main portion of the story will be the events that lead up to**_ _ **Upon the Battlefield**_ _ **.**_

 _ **I do hope you all enjoyed this story and will continue reading it with each update I post.**_


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